Social attitudes towards the family and children need to be reshaped if we want to address sharply declining birth rates and the increasing phenomenon of unplanned childlessness, a major new report from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) says. States need to promote policies that promote family formation, the report says while...
The number of abortions being carried out in Northern Ireland has increased by a massive 29pc in a single year, according to official statistics published by the Department of Health. The figure of 2,792 is three times the number of Northern Ireland women who went to England for abortions before the law in the North...
While the cost of housing is frequently cited as a reason for delayed family formation and having children, the evidence does not strongly support this claim, according to a new study from the Policy Exchange think tank in the UK, which mentions Ireland, among other countries. A brand new Amarach survey commissioned by Accord, the...
The number of couples requesting euthanasia together is on the rise in the Netherlands, according to official reports. In 2024, there were 54 such cases, compared to just nine in 2018. A notable case involving a former Dutch prime minister and his wife last year appears to have contributed to the growing demand. In the...
Parents have long been regarded as the primary educators of their children. This is recognised in some of the foundational human rights documents of the post-World War 2 world. But a new UNESCO document now demotes parents to the role of children’s ‘first educators’ and promotes the role of other bodies in the educating and...
Falling fertility rates are propelling the major economies toward a major reckoning, according to a new study by the McKinsey Global Institute, one of the world’s leading management consulting firms. As the report, entitled “Dependency and Depopulation? Confronting the Consequences of a New Demographic Reality” confirms, a huge and growing portion of the global population...
We have cast our eye over the Programme for Government (PFG) and assessed it from the point of view of the issues relevant to The Iona Institute, that is, family policy, the future of Church-run schools, RSE, gender ideology among other things. The good news is that no new referendums are planned, or new Citizens’...
A new survey from the Dublin Chamber of Commerce (DCC) finds that a lack of affordable childcare affects employers’ ability to attract new employees. Aebhric Mc Gibney of DCC was interviewed today on Morning Ireland about the survey, and as usual no consideration was given to all the parents of young children, especially mothers, who...
What is the current state of religious freedom in the world? The latest report from the prestigious Pew Research Centre finds, not good. The report, issued last month, covers 2022, and finds that curbs on religious practices and beliefs remained at high levels worldwide. The study, which assesses government-imposed restrictions and societal hostilities towards religion...
The number of euthanasia cases continues to rise in Canada, according to the latest official report on the topic, raising further alarm, particularly among disability rights groups. Even some early supporters of ‘Medical Assistance in Dying’ (MAID) are now voicing concerns. Last year, 15,343 Canadians died by euthanasia or assisted suicide, according to the ‘Fifth...
